When I write songs I write for myself...I'm writing it as a form of expression, and hoping to find an audience, an audience that responds to music that is honest and lyrical and tells stories.

People were a little leery when I was doing the press for my last album 'Rumble Doll, ' yes. It's always that thing that this is a dilettante or a pet project.

I did feel funny about being fair and having red hair and freckles. I did not like that because I grew up in a neighbourhood where no one had red hair. I felt very conspicuous but not in a nice way.

The path to joy and spiritual fulfilment requires the courage to change and grow.

Distinctive facial features of a parent are poor people’s paternity test.

I keep six honest serving-men they taught me all I know their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who

The trouble with life is that there are so many beautiful women and so little time.

I write because I have authority from life to do so.

After the tsunami in Japan, we were open for business. In fact, I flew there 10 days after the tsunami to show our support for the Japanese people.

It remains to be seen, for example whether China can continue to develop as a market economy while still retaining an authoritarian communist political system.

There is a guy on my block who lives for rock, he plays records day and night, and when he feels down he puts the rock and roll on and it makes him feel alright.

Drive, determination, passion and hard work are all free and more valuable than a pot of cash.

Politics are usually the executive expression of human immaturity.